It's one
of the most unique yet most recognizable vehicles ever designedand just the
sight of it will make you hungry!Join "The
Traffic Guy" for a tour of the Oscar Mayer

If
you are planning to carjack a vehicle and lead police on a high-speed chase,
this would be the wrong vehicle in which to attempt it! Nothing is
quite as noticeable in traffic as the eye-catching Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
For me, seeing the Wienermobile again brings back memories of my childhood.
It's not the same one I visited as a kid, of course, because the Wienermobile
has changed over the years. An idea of the company founder's nephew,
the Wienermobile first appeared in 1936 traveling the streets of Chicago
promoting Oscar Mayer "German Style Wieners". Since then, the Wienermobile
has been redesigned six times.

Wow,
I never thought I would be behind the wheel of such a tasty vehicle but
here I am at a Wienermobile appearance in Southern California (2002).
The hot dog theme is apparent throughout the vehicle. Check out the
hot dog shaped dashboard and, believe it or not, I was sitting in a relish-colored
seat! Directly above my head was a computerized "condiment control
panel" and while many vehicles come with a sunroof, the Wienermobile has
a "bun roof". This particular Wienermobile is a 1995 model created
by world-renowned automobile designer Harry Bradley. It's 27 feet long,
11 feet high and can travel in excess of 90 miles per hour! Each Wienermobile
in the fleet has it's own identity and this one bears the license plate
BIG BUN.

The
"Bun Roof"

Hot
Dog-shaped Dashboard

;Rear
View

While
I was just pretending to drive the Wienermobile, the real driving is done
by a team of talented and personable "Hotdoggers" who have attended Hot
Dog High in Madison, Wisconsin, where they learn about the company's products
and history as well as receiving specialized driver training. I'm
sure they're careful drivers, but Oscar Mayer undoubtedly has a hefty car
insurance policy on a vehicle this unique. After taking the Hotdogger Oath
and graduating, new Hotdoggers travel the country for one year. The
Hotdoggers on this visit were Desiree Villarreal (left), better known as
"Dill Relish Des", from Palacios, Texas, and Regan Schubel (a.k.a. "Regan
Relish") from Marshall, Michigan.

Fun
Facts: In 1988, Al Unser, Jr. took the Wienermobile for a test lap
at the Indy 500. Did you know the Wienermobile is also a movie star?
It has appeared in two movies: "Ladybugs" starring Rodney Dangerfield
and "Another You" starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.
And while hot dogs are considered as American as baseball and apple pie,
Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs are enjoyed in other countries as is the Wienermobile,
which you'll see touring Canada, Japan and Spain!

For
further information about the Wienermobile, click
here to visit the Oscar Mayer website.